The Last Temple
by fireprincesskya
Summary: 1000 years after the last Avatar died, a new generation of benders called the Sahiks have risen. But due to the cruel Emperor, they've been hunted to near extinction. All of the element Temples have been destroyed. All but one.
1. Prologue

Prologue

In the dark chambers of the palace, the Emperor sat on his high silver throne. Flickering torches, seated on the walls, cast shadows over everyone in the room. His advisers, generals, and tactical war planners sat on the velvet rug in hushed discussion. One man moved some pieces on the table forward, a large map showing his empire and the lands beyond. Mighty Ba Shuik, with its immense ports, rivers, and forests. The Border Mountains dividing his country from Phio. So many legends were entwined with those mountains, how the sahiks had places curses on them. He grew with rage just thinking of them.

_Wretched sahiks! Sticking their noses in everyone's business, bragging of their mystical power, thinking themselves better than I! The world would be better to be rid of them all._

Suddenly an idea came to mind. _Why _not_ rid the world of them?_ The Emperor stood and declared his cruel plan to the room silence followed, and then some weak applause. He walked back to the window. _They think I am mad. Ever since my coronation last year I have pushed my armies to the limit. But I will show them. I will be the most powerful ruler the world has ever seen! And I will be rid of the sahik once and for all! I will be forever known as Sahik-Slayer!_

He turned back to see astonished faces, then realized he had said the last bit aloud. This only made his eerie cackle stronger. The Emperor's boiled up rage at the world was released into the world with his laugh, booming all through the palace.


	2. Chapter One

Part 1: First Sight

Chapter 1

Stretching his eyes open, Jahar got out of bed and washed up. He went outside his hut and saw he was the first one up. After teasing the campfire back to life, he set to work on breakfast and morning chores. Washing clothes, cleaning pots and pans, and sweeping out the hut as usual. Glancing up at the clear sky, Jahar could tell it would be a nice day.

After the midday meal, he went for a swim in the lake nearby. He could feel the cool breeze glancing off the waters as he climbed down the hill. Happy thoughts filled his mind: his pregnant mother, his five sisters playing with their dolls, even memories of his father teaching him to hunt. _No,_ he thought,_ I mustn't remind myself of his death_.

Jahar waded into the cool water and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt the cool watery breeze change to a warm, dusty one. He glanced up and saw a dust cloud over by the road to the village. _This can't be good_, he thought.

Pulling on his clothes as quickly as possible, Jahar raced back to his village. There was a crowd in the village center surrounding, to his astonishment, a group of Phioan soldiers. He dashed to his family, listening to the conversation between the military and the village leader.

"I tell you, if you don't hand over the sahiks here there will be consequences!" shouted one mounted soldier.

The village leader replied, "I tell _you_, we have no sahiks here! And I never heard the Republic announce they are arresting them anyway."

"We got a tip off that someone was using their bending here…" his eyes surveyed the crowd, "some nice breezes you have too. Hmm… I bet you'll hand him over."

Suddenly the soldier reached forward, grabbed Jahar's mother, and held his knife to her throat.

"No!" Jahar leaped forward, but the soldier held his mother out of his reach. A terrible fury pulled inside the boy's stomach. All of a sudden an explosion of wind roared towards the soldiers, knocking them from their horses and blowing them out of the village. Jahar had grasped his mother just in time for her not to be blown away, too.

As he looked around the entire villages' eyes were trained on him. Someone spoke out, "That's the sahik! That's who they were looking for! Someone grab him!" No one moved. They were all frightened to death that he would let out another gust. Slowly everyone backed back into their huts.

"Jahar, you…" His mother was lost for words.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know I was a sahik. Please! What will they do to me?"

"Dear… I love you so much," she paused, "But those soldiers _will_ come back. I'm afraid you will have to leave. I would rather see you leave for a better life than be killed by those bullies." A tear slid down her cheek.

Five minutes later, his packs were filled, and goodbyes were said.

"Take care, Mother, Tanya, Spring, Finch, Opall, and Pippa. Perhaps we will meet again." And with that, he left for the Border Mountains.

Sunshine danced across the seawater between the docks, gleaming in Kya's eyes. There was so much activity in this port; she could see why her stepmother wanted to take her out shopping. It was too good a day to stay inside.

By noon their carriage was full of new hats, dresses, books, and Kya's fingers were sticky with the sweet buns she had bought. Spying a fountain down an alley to her left, she skipped daintily towards it. It was a magnificent piece of art; it must have taken the best sculptors in Jakindo to create it. Three bowls, each pouring clear water into the next, had horses etched into the sides spewing even more water from their mouths. The noble couldn't take her eyes off it.

Out of the darkness ten men dressed in shabby tunics appeared. _ Oh no! _Kya thought,_ these are thugs! _ She looked around for anyone to help, but her stepmother was back having a conversation with a merchant. The buzz of the docks was too loud for anyone to hear her.

"There, there, poppet. We don't wan te hurt yer royal daintiness. Just hand over yer purse, nice and easy now…"

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I really must be going now," Kya said in a shaky voice.

"Oh, dear, we can't have ya leave now, can we, boys?" The leader cackled as his gang drew closer. They drew out their knives and inched closer, closer.

Kya backed up to the fountain and felt its constant pulse of dribble, dribble. Suddenly with a shriek she reached up her arms and ropes of the gleaming water stretched up from the fountain. They swirled around the thugs' legs and tugged them over. Just as the water splashed back into the fountain, her mother and coachman appeared in the alley.

"Oh dear," Kya whispered. She knew this couldn't be good.

An hour later back at their mansion, Kya and her stepmother sat in the lounge in whispered conversation.

"And what if your father finds out? You know as well as I that you are a sahik, and your life is in danger!"

"Mother, it was just an accident! Father will never know!"

"He will find out! I am sending you to stay with a distant relative in Phio. I will tell your father that those thugs killed you. He will be sad, but it is far better than having to turn his own daughter over to the Emperor! Please, Kya du Fondt, reason with me on this."

Kya sighed in agreement. However, she couldn't stop the tugging suspicion that her stepmother thought her a nuisance and wanted to be rid of her. Standing up, she asked, "When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow."

Laruk was known for it's famous Soldier's Academy. Hundreds of battalions were trained there, their armor and weaponry built. The Emperor had most of his army stationed there even though it was quite a long trek to the Imperial City.

It was held in a large castle atop Medallion Hill, in the center of Laruk. Naturally, it was guarded by the nation's most esteemed armed forces and therefore Laruk had never been taken in a battle. However, the thieves of the city knew how to sneak though even those soldiers.

It was near the inner wall of Medallion Hill where a young boy hid in a small alley near the gates. He shifted uneasily: the Thief Lord had told him that some others would have caused a diversion by now. However, the gate stood as it always did: slightly open, with guards on the outside checking merchants and more on the inside. Tapping his foot in impatience, Starkin finally left the alley to see where his cronies might have gone.

_Where are they?_ He wondered. This was an important mission; there should be no fooling around. On a market day, all the best wares were taken inside the Academy's walls so that nobles could bargain without mingling with the peasants. If Starkin could slip inside the gates, it would be easy enough to nab lots of valuable goods. They never would expect any thief to get in; no one ever had.

Peering through the crowd, Starkin only saw merchants pulling their kiosks or wagons filled with fine silks and muslins, the juiciest plums of the season, even some rare monkeys in a large cage. Disappointed, he turned around just as a tall boy in a scruffy-looking outfit grabbed his wrist and dragged him back into the alley. He was no more than sixteen; he was already growing the beginnings of a beard. His face, though, was gaunt with the hard life working for the Thief Lord.

"What were you doing out there, Stark? A soldier could 'a spotted you!" he asked.

"Searching for you, that's what!" he wrenched out of the boy's tough grip. "What took you so long? I was starting to think you had abandoned the mission."

Starkin knew he had hit his weak point; no one had ever lived if the Thief Lord knew they intended on leaving. And if rumors reached his ears, he was sure to settle them fast.

The boy drew himself up. "All I was doin' was getting things settled. That's all."

"Well, are we ready?" Starkin asked.

But his question was cut off by a boom followed by some shouts and the clamor of armor. Peeking around the corner of the alley, Starkin could see that some other thieves had set a few barrels of gunpowder alight. _Now to start my job_, he thought.

Starkin whisked through the crowd, dodging frantic horses, weaving through carriages, and avoiding soldiers at all costs. That part wasn't hard, as they were only focused on putting out the fire and keeping the citizens safe. Starkin finally made it to the gates and slipped inside without anyone noticing.

What he saw before him held him in awe. There were two rows of booths in which nobles and courtiers walked in their silken finery, admiring the superior craftsmanship of this sword or the quality of that necklace. It was not noisy and congested like the market he knew; this place had an air of subtle supremacy that Starkin had never felt before. But what most caught his awe was that there was not a soldier in sight. They had all rushed outside to see his distraction.

_This is going to be so easy! I can't even imagine how much the Thief Lord will reward me when I return with treasures like this!_

Pulling out an empty sack with a flourish, Starkin set to work. Avoiding the merchants' eyes was simple: wait until they get into a conversation with a customer and walk by, breezily stealing an item or two, then walk away. He had half a sack filled with various goods when Starkin felt a tap on his shoulder, and froze.

He whirled around to see ten guards outfitted in the dark red of high-ranking officers.

"What might you have in that sack, street slug?" the leader snickered.

"I-I was just," Starkin mumbled, then turned around and bolted down a corner. He could easily escape soldiers on his own familiar streets and alleys, but here he had no idea where he was going. Sure enough, the thief stumbled into a dead end.

"You've nowhere to turn, you pesky little thief. We know who you're working for. I didn't know the Thief Lord sent _children_ to do his dirty work." One leered.

"Come on. It's to the dungeons for you. Thinking he could steal from the Soldiers' Academy, huh? Maybe we should just be rid of him right here!"

Cackling, three men drew up their bows and pointed them at the boy's heart.

Starkin drew up his arms in defense, thinking that these would be his last breaths. Suddenly, the cobblestone street turned alive. Stones rumbled up in front of him, making a wall just as the archers released their arrows. Eyes wide with astonishment, Starkin put his hands down and the wall sank back into the street. He looked at the soldiers, and they were just as surprised as he was.

"Filthy sahik!" one shouted, and Starkin looked down and saw that their feet had sunken into the road. They were unable to move!

Starkin managed to make his legs move, and dashed back the way he had gone as fast as he could. The whole time he raced through the city, out the gates, and into the forest beyond that used to be his home, the soldier's voice echoed in his mind, _Filthy sahik!_

All the sahiks in Laruk had been banished decades ago, to provide 'safety for the citizens.' Most people knew that really the Academy just wanted to control all the power within the city. Since then the punishment for any bending was death.

Mulling all this over, Starkin had decided one thing: his old life was over, and a new one had begun.

Wind lashed at the sails, waves roared, and all of the signs predicted a storm at sea, and a bad one.

Aspen watched as the captain shouted orders to his crew. "Stow away those barrels," "Lash down that line before it whips someone," and "Fold in the sails, mate!" were the only snippets she could hear above the commotion. Finally, the captain grabbed her slender wrist away from the railing.

"My niece, you must go into your cabin at once. The busy deck is no place for a young girl."

"Uncle, I can take care of myself. I'm fifteen! And besides, I want to help on deck with the crew." Aspen replied.

Rolling his eyes the captain said, " I don't have time for this conversation again. Ever since your parents died in that pirate raid, I _promised_ I would keep you safe from harm. Does a slippery deck during a storm sound safe to you? No! So go below deck and _stay_ there!"

Defeated, Aspen slunk down the steps into her cabin. From above she could still hear shouts and rain starting to pound down. She picked up a picture of her late parents. Memories clouded her mind; images of their plantation house on Kinko Island, of waves lapping at the shore, and their merry laughter. She was only twelve when the pirates came.

A fleet of ships, most likely a rebellious island from western Ikinjar, surrounded the peaceful cove where she had lived her entire life. Aspen's brave father had led the defense, but was quickly outnumbered. Her mother had escaped with Aspen, fleeing to the nearest port town where her uncle was staying. However, a pirate murdered Aspen's mother before they could reach safety. Aspen managed to reach her uncle and his crew drove off the pirates, but it was too late. She was orphaned.

A silent tear rolled down Aspen's cheek, down her neck, and into her slick black hair. It had taken three long years to sort out the wreckage, and her parent's wills bestowed. Finally her uncle decided that, being a navy captain, he could not care for a growing girl. She was to learn to be a society lady at a boarding school in Ran Shin. Bitterness made the girl's thin lips turn to a scowl at this.

Suddenly an enormous groan came from above, and then a huge crash. _The storm must be worse than I expected._ Dashing up the stairs, Aspen peeked out on the deck.

What she saw was horrible. The center mast had broken, toppling over and crushing the deck on the port side. She had to look away when she noticed a pair of legs beneath the rubble.

No one noticed she was out of her cabin; everyone was so busy securing lines, cannons, and barrels. A flash of light hit her eyes, then a boom and the astern mast was on fire. Strangely enough, she was not afraid of this. In fact, she was drawn to it. The flames flickered in a beauty she wouldn't find in any painting, sculpture, or fancy illumination in the Ba Shuikian Libraries. Screams faded from her mind. Then her concentration was torn away as the deck lurched to the side. The ship was sinking.

Shouting for her uncle, Aspen tripped over a piece of splintered wood. Looking around in desperation, she spotted him by the wheel, shouting orders through the wind.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Aspen wailed at the top of her lungs. Spotting her, he dashed to her side.

"I don't think the ship's going to make it, dear. Get into one of the lifeboats and help others get as far away from the hull as possible. We're near Ran Shin, nearly to the bay." He paused. "This may be the last time we see each other-"

"Don't say that! You're coming with me!"

"Nothing is for sure. I must help the crew first! I love you, my dearest Aspen; I love you as if you were my own child. Now go, and do not wait for me!"

Fighting tears, she strode to the dinghy. Time seemed to stop running. A loose cannon shot past her, but she barely noticed when the small boat was smashed to pieces. As one final crack echoed, and she was tossed into the water, she could only help thinking, _not again! Not again…_

A gleaming white wall blazed in front of her, seeming to surround her. Then blackness came, and she was gone.


	3. Chapter Two

**Hi my loyal readers! (I'm sure there are some of you out there!) Sorry about the length of the first couple chapters… not to give anything away but more action will begin to happen! Please post your reviews they are so encouraging**__**to read!**

Chapter 2

Jahar finally found a suitable clearing to camp. He found some firewood, built up his tent, and roasted the fish he'd caught earlier. Resting against a rock, he thought about what he was going to do.

Jahar's mother had told him that the Border Mountains, however shrouded in legends and mystery they were, were his safest bet. The soldiers would hunt him in every city, port, or village, although the Republic supposedly sought peace with sahiks. That didn't stop the discrimination in the countryside.

So he was to hide in the mountains, but where? There were no towns up on those steep hills. Jahar could only think of one place he might find, but even that was only a legend, probably made up for a campfire tale. Still, it was Jahar's best shot at staying alive; he searched his memory for the tale of the Last Temple.

_Once, long, long ago, before there were even three nations, Temples ruled the local countryside. These Temples were places of peace and knowledge. Each Temple worshiped one element: Water, Earth, Fire, or Air. Sahiks studied there to learn the ancient art of element bending, or transferring the will of your own energy into your element. That is how sahiks can make earth rise, fire move, water freeze, and wind blow. That is why they are so powerful, and the reason for their extinction._

_For ages sahiks were envied for their amazing power. Slowly, the lands we now know as Ba Shuik and Phio had different views about controlling sahik power, and divided into two nations. Ikinjar, or the Northern Isles, wanted nothing to do with these power struggles, and remained in their icy tribes. Ba Shuik banned all element bending, and is still fighting to exterminate the sahik race. Phio has taken a more peaceful outlook on bending, but there is no stopping the discrimination._

_Finally all the Temples were either abandoned or destroyed, but one remains. The Last Temple lies in the mists of the Border Mountains, high above the plains and forests below. The sahiks there determined to keep it safe from the Emperor, so only a true sahik could enter. No one has ever laid eyes on it. The emperor is determined to burn it to the ground, but he won't find it either. It might always stay there, in the mists._

Knowing that finding the Last Temple wouldn't be easy, Jahar curled up for a good night's rest.

The carriage ride was not an enjoyable one. Kya's annoying tutor, Yaxley, was sent along as her escort. All he ever did was read his book and snore. It was a 12 hour ride to Phio, the neighboring nation, with only flat fields and the occasional grove of trees for scenery. Kya stared at her textbook, the words slowly floating off the page. Her eyes began to flutter; her light brown hair slipped down from her ear and into her eyes. This tickled, waking Kya up a bit. She noticed that Yaxley was in a _very_ deep sleep- the bottle of wine next to him was empty. Kya checked out the window; the carriage driver was absorbed in his own thoughts. _Maybe I can just try it again a bit- no one will notice._

Kya took out the leather water flask in her traveling bag and popped it open. She imagined pulling a thread with her fingers. Slowly, a thin string of water wove its way out of the container. _I've done it!_ She thought wildly. _I _can_ control the water! It wasn't my imagination!_ She tried flicking her wrist, and the liquid responded to her every command. It flew this way and that throughout the cabin while the tutor steadily snored away. A bit more daring now, Kya started to try and form it into shapes. She made a heart, a star, even the feathery wings of a duck. It was harder to control a more complicated design, but after a while it grew easier and easier for Kya. It began to feel natural; a part of her very being.

Presently the girl began to wonder why the gods had bestowed this gift upon her. She had been a normal noble's child. Her mother was normal- at least, for the time she had known her as a toddler. Kya's mom had died when she was six of an influenza epidemic. Her father was strict at times, but you could always see the love for his only daughter written across his face. And when he remarried for political reasons, Kya hadn't objected. They both knew that her mother would always stay close to her heart, and that was no reason to dislike her stepmother. She did her job- accompanying Lord du Fondt- but she did it without enthusiasm. And all she thought of Kya was an obstacle that could not be avoided. Not that Kya knew that.

All of a sudden, the carriage hit a bump. Her water creature, now in the shape of a sea turtle, flew straight into Yaxley's face.

"Splu- ick- what is the meaning of this?" He yelled angrily at the girl. His chubby cheeks began to turn purple, as they always did when he was angry/embarrassed. She apologized and wiped the water off his face, saying that she was merely taking a drink when the driver hit a bump. Still muffed at the indignity, the tutor shooed Kya back into her studies. She promptly began to stare out the window again once his snores resumed.

Starkin huddled around his humble campfire. It was pretty cold at night, but he was used to sleeping in doorways and alleys. The Thief Lord didn't care much about the lodging of his supporters. Starkin huddled closer to the flames, drawing in heat that his thin tunic could not hold in. At least the buildings in Laruk had some shelter. Out here, the trees all looked the same. They pressed down on him, and he wasn't sure if he could navigate his way through them, much less outrun the soldiers looking for him. It wasn't like he'd stolen anything. Sure, he was a sahik, but he was out of their stinking city! _Why do they have to bother hunting me down?_

The subjects of his thoughts suddenly could be heard as well. Off to his left he saw torches and the rough scraping sound of armor. Putting out his campfire, Starkin thought, _Why bother with the armor? To show off? Its not like I'm any real threat to them! _ He laughed at the thought, then hushed himself. The ocean was to the north, and the sun had in front of him, so he ran right. Luckily, north was away from the nasty looking military.

No sooner had he lost sight of the patrol behind him when Starkin stumbled into a clearing. Full of soldiers. Slowly backing away, he hoped no one noticed. They did.

Every one of the twenty or so men was up and in arms immediately. They surrounded him, and the leader came forward. Starkin couldn't see much of their faces through the helmets, but he could swear he saw some fear.

"You have trespassed on the grounds inside Medallion Hill, boy. And you have been seen attacking a patrol of soldiers with your sahik bending." He spat as he said the word _sahik_. "Give up. You are outnumbered. Come with us peacefully and the consequences will be less severe."

_Ha! They'll kill me either way. Probably have fun with it, too._ For an answer, Starkin threw out his arms and the ground rumbled. It rolled. It ripped. He pushed the rock around him outwards, knocking over each and every soldier. Skipping nimbly around them, he grabbed the nearest horse and rode off northwards, laughing in their stunned faces as he went.

Aspen woke on a strange beach surrounded by strange rocks and an even stranger headache. _What happened?_ She wondered. Memories of rain, broken wood, crushing waves… then the whole event flooded back into her mind.

"No… No! It wasn't a dream. That means… Uncle is gone?" She could barely whisper the words. Her beloved Uncle- he _couldn't_ be gone. The girl spent an hour along the beach before finally convincing herself that he wasn't here. _He could be on another beach… or someone could have rescued him from the water… or…_ A nagging voice in the back of her head told her he couldn't have survived. The chilling waves, the sharp rocks, razor-sharp wreckage… chances were, he drowned long before he was even able to _see _the coast. She silenced the voice with a sob that turned into a wail. He was her only family left. And he was gone. Aspen choked at the very thought. _Gone forever_.

Finally her crying slowed and finally ceased. _Crying will do no good._ She told herself. Aspen kicked into survival mode; reciting the many lessons Uncle had given her in case of something like this. First, she surveyed her body for any broken bones or serious cuts. Not a scratch. This baffled her. The rest of the crew was dead, the ship in pieces, and she was fine? She didn't even have hypothermia! In these frigid waters, that should have killed her long ago. The girl racked her mind for any memory of crawling on a piece of driftwood that might have protected her. For some reason, she kept remembering a bright ball of light surrounding her. Light…. Or more like heat. _A bright ball of heat. Definitely a question to be answered later._

Aspen dragged a few soggy pieces of wood and some salvaged canvas to make a shelter in the coastal trees. Using some rope, she made a couple traps to find some food. The storm had left the water pretty cold, so she didn't dare go out to fish. Instead, Aspen spent her time making a fire. At least, she thought it would take time. She had a roaring one in a couple minutes.

It was so strange… the flames seemed to lick off the steel she used to start it and hungrily dove into the damp wood. She couldn't find any dry and didn't honestly expect it to take. All of the events so far had seemed so unnatural. Still, she didn't complain.

One of her traps held a large hare, which made pretty tasty jerky. As she was roasting the meat the flames seemed to whisper to her- even words and phrases she could almost understand. They kept saying something that sounded like _Aspen._ _That is just _too_ creepy._ She thought to herself, and fell asleep with a full stomach. As soon as she went out, the flames did too. They became tiny embers in the still-damp beach wood.

**Please please please tell me what you think! I love constructive criticism!**


	4. Chapter Three

I know that this is a fanfic of ATLA but its 1000 years later, so I know there must be some confusion about the countries. Only one island of the Fire Nation, Kinko, is still inhabited. The Air Temples and Southern Water Tribe are deserted, the Northern Water Tribe is called Ikinjar, and the Earth Kingdom has been divided into two countries: Ba Shuik and Phio. They are divided by what is called the Border Mountains. Ba Shuik is on the western side; their capitol is the Imperial City. Phio has more farming and is trying to be peaceful with benders; their capitol is Republic City. Does that make sense? Please read and reply!

Chapter 3

_ Yes! Finally we've reached the Border Mountains!_ Kya was delighted. After days and days of endless plains the carriage had finally arrived at the great evergreen forests of the mountains. It was so much cooler here, and the trees were beautiful.

"Best be careful, driver! I hears some bandits been lootin' these parts as of late." Yaxley warned.

The trio stopped for lunch at a nearby stream. Kya was in awe. All her life she had grown up in a mansion in the costal city of Jakindo. The forest was so strange for her. She had never heard so many animals or smelled so many strange smells. The light dappling through the pine needles shimmered with their movement. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. For once, she was thankful her stepmother had wanted to get her away as fast as possible. If they'd taken the long route around the mountains, it would be flat plains for weeks on end.

Yaxley was soon finished with his beef sandwich and settled on a nearby clump of moss for a nap. _Like you need one_, Kya told him in her mind. The carriage driver was busy attending to his horses, so the girl took a look around. She followed the stream up a ways, and discovered a delicate waterfall. Moss covered all the rocks, which made them slippery. She wanted a closer look at some of the fish in the small pool. She placed one foot on a flat slap of rock, but the other one found only a rounded one covered with the slimy plant. She slipped, and fell in the water soaking wet.

"Oh, dear. Yaxley will yell at me for certain. At least it isn't my best dress. Hmm…" Kya stepped out of the pool and focused her mind on her sopping clothes. Planting her hands on the soggy skirts, she slowly drew them away and coaxed the water out. "There, now. No one will know the difference!"

She was about to skip back to her companions when she heard a yell. Clangs of metal followed, she guessed they were swords. More yells, then a horrific scream. Kya pelted back the way she had come.

A few minutes later, just as she was nearing the clearing where her carriage was waiting, silence ensued. It was kind of creepy. She peeked around a large tree and, to her absolute terror, saw two bloodied men lying on the ground. A group of ragged people stood around them. They carried rapiers, bows, and arrows. Some were looting the carriage. Trying to make herself as brave as possible, Kya took a closer look at the two dead men. They were Yaxley and the carriage driver.

She stifled the scream that was trying to make its way out. If she had been with the men, she would have shared their fate. A few silent tears ran down her cheeks. They were her only friends in the world. Kya had never met any children her age. They were all poor peasants. From the earliest days she could remember, Yaxley had been driving knowledge into her head. Their family's coach driver had always been kind to her. But now they were both gone. _If I'd gotten back a little earlier…. No._ Kya thought._ You'd only be dead with them._

She turned and fled. Which way, she did not know. She only thought of her feet, flying against the underbrush, and the trees surrounding her. Kya had no idea how long she ran. All she knew was that she wanted to get away from that dreadful place. And leave it behind forever.

The sun dipped behind the mountains, but she did not stop. She came to the base of the lowest mountain in the range and began to climb the green slopes. Soon all light from the sunset vanished. Thoughts of fluffy pillows and warm beds filled her mind. With one last step of exhaustion, Kya settled down on a mossy patch of ground.

_Chirp. Tweet. Hello?_ Kya yawned. It was morning. The birds were up and singing… wait. 'Hello?' That was not a bird's call. She opened her eyes. Someone was kneeling by her. Her first reaction was that the robbers had found her, but this man had kind in his eyes. His dark hair was flopping in his face; his skin was tan. Her second guess was a farm boy, but what would a farmer be doing in the mountains? Especially these ones twisted in legends and fear. Finally, Kya sat up and asked him his name.

"I'm Jahar. I used to live in Phio… that is, I don't really anymore. But you don't seem to live here either." He surveyed my expensive dress and my pale skin. I haven't done a day's work in my life. Jahar seemed to get that. "So are you some sort of noble?"

"My name is Kya du Fondt. I used to live in Jakindo, but my stepmother sent me away. She thinks I'm some kind of freak. Robbers killed my escorts, and I have absolutely no idea where I am. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

He seemed more interested in the word, 'freak.' His eyes had opened wider when I said that. "Your stepmother thinks you're a freak? Why? What can you do?"

Kya stood up indignantly. "I am a _normal_ person. Now, if you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of the nearest village."

"No! That's not what I meant!" He grabbed her arm. "It's just, I had to leave my home for the same reason. I'm a freak, too. Look." Hesitantly, he took a stance and placed his hands together. Kya stood, watching. Then he whirled his arms around and a giant gust of wind pelted the trees around us. He was an air Sahiks.

"Now, what can you do?"

She looked around and saw a little pool of water in a depression of rock. Kya bended the water out of it and brought over. It swirled around her head, and then she turned it into a water apple and froze it. Kya handed it to Jahar.

"You- you can waterbend?" He asked, and she nodded looking down shamefully. "Don't be embarrassed! We might be the only Sahiks left! Won't you come with me? I'm trying to find the Last Sahik Temple that wasn't destroyed by the Emperor. If we found it, we could live there in safety! With no one to taunt us for being different."

"You don't understand. I _liked _the life I had. It wasn't perfect, but I loved my family." Kya thought of my stepmother, smiling as her only daughter rode away. Somehow, a portion of Kya's mind knew he was right. Her life could never be as it once was.

Hesitantly, Kya took his outstretched hand.

**~PLEASE read and reply!~**


	5. Chapter Four

**Reply! I love constructive critisicm! That big shiny REPLY button is beckoning!**

Chapter 4

The soldiers were long gone by now. It was easy enough to cover Starkin's tracks- by tying some long sticks and leaves in his belt that dragged on the ground it pretty much muffled any footprints left by his bare feet. They had grown tougher and more calloused during his week in the coastal forest. His hunting skills had also improved. Stark had never really hunted before, as he just stole his food from the city. However, the boy was naturally stealthy; he'd killed a family of pheasants and three small rabbits during his trek.

Right now Starkin was climbing another steep slope. There weren't any trees for a few hundred yards, so he was trying to be nice and quick just in case anyone was following him. He hadn't been quite sure why he had decided to move into the mountains. Maybe it was just instinct. Despite the mysterious legends, he felt so much _safer_ here. And that was something he rarely felt.

As the skinny boy pulled himself up a particularly slippery part using a protruding root, his ears detected something. A slight ring- no, a whisper. Listening more closely now, he thought it might be the soldiers again. But the voices were too light. Almost ethereal, even though he couldn't see them. Realizing that he was no longer moving, Starkin continued to hurry up the rocky incline.

Safely under cover of pine trees again, Stark tried to name the voice. It seemed strangely familiar but he had no idea how. He walked a little bit one way and the voices grew slightly softer. Turning around in the opposite direction, the voices grew stronger. They _wanted_ him to go that way. Frowning in confusion, he debated in whether or not to follow the spirits. They might lead him to danger of some sort. _Who knows? My life has been strange enough lately. How bizarre can talking voices in my head be?_

Starkin headed deeper into the uncharted mountains.

He was not the only one with voices in his head.

Aspen was still residing by her coastal shipwreck. For one week, she'd slept the cold northern nights in a cave in the hills. It wasn't home, but with a fire it would be warm. The flames still talked to her and she almost grew used to it. It was better than going crazy by living on her own. The girl was expecting a rescue ship from Ran Shin to come any day, now that her uncle's merchant ship was missing. But she waited in vain for days.

Midmorning one day she setting out to check her hare traps. She doused her fire and with it the weird voices. Only this time they stayed. She barely noticed until she was walking deeper into the forest, and they grew louder. _Come, come, come._ The words not only were beckoning her to head south, into the mountains, but they seemed to _tug_ her soul, too. _Come on,_ Aspen told herself, _voices tugging my soul? I have definitely been alone for _too_ long! _ But a little part of her stayed sincere.

The next morning, with still no sign of a rescue ship, she chose to investigate the voices by following where they drew her. The pulling sensation was almost _painful_! She told her logical self that there might be some village or town where the voices were leading her, but really Aspen had no idea. In fact, the closest village was twenty miles in any direction, and none were where she was headed. Not that Aspen knew that. Just by going with the voices, she already felt better. _Perhaps they will lead me to safety!_ She thought. _Or treasure, or magic, or secret caves, or maybe even that old Temple thing Gran used to tell stories about!_ She paused in her thoughts. _Aspen, don't get carried away! You are acting like a five-year old again…_


	6. Chapter Five

Thanks Guardiansky for reviewing! But only one person? Really? 95 people have read this- I would like to see some reviews! Positive or negative- I don't care! I lead a busy life and I would like to see that people really do read my work!

Chapter Five

The shadows were a little- no, _very_ creepy.

Jahar and Kya were traveling through the tiny valley of Dead Shadow Pass, deep in the Border Mountains. Two nights ago they had both felt the very same pull inside that Starkin and Aspen had. As if someone were pulling their souls, tugging them in the right direction. That direction just so happened to be through a haunted valley filled with twisty dead trees and shadows that moved, whispered, and even abducted people- according to the legends.

Jahar and Kya had had a long argument about whether or not to go through the dreaded valley. Jahar thought they should, as he believed more in ghosts and spirits than the noble. Kya thought the whole thing was ridiculous. However, in the end the air Sahik won. The soul-pull got too hard and painful to resist anymore.

So they were walking silently through this dead valley. Literally- _everything was dead_. No birds chirped. No animals hunted. Every tree was blackened and bent as if a fire had swept through. The only difference was, a burned forest would grow back. This valley had had no signs of new life for many centuries.

Kya and Jahar tried to break the unhappy trek with a conversation, but neither could keep it up for long. It was almost as if this cursed place tried to extinguish _any_ sound.

But what was the worst thing of all was the fact that the shadows whispered even more than the voices they'd heard before. Whereas the voices pulling them along were delicate and gentle, the evil shadow voices were harsh, as if they had endured millennia of dry throats. If Kya or Jahar touched one, it felt cold and clammy, like something was trying to reach inside of them.

About halfway through the valley, one shadow grew closer and closer to Kya's arm. It touched her elbow, grabbing hold of it. She whirled around and saw a dark creature before her- transparent yet growing in density. Kya screamed and slashed at the shadow's arm. Jahar airbended at it, but his air passed through it. The thing's voice echoed in Kya's mind, battling with the good spirit-voices. It sounded like it was seeking flesh, energy, life, sustenance. Finally a silky-white glowing twine came out of her chest and wound around the beast. It roared inside of her head, shrinking until its shadowy mass was no more. The children broke into a run.

It had taken them an hour to make it this far into the valley; it took them fifteen minutes to reach its end. Fear and the shadow-voices, which grew louder and more profound by the minute, drove them on. When they could finally see the edge of the valley wall and were one hundred yards away, the Shadows massed together into a giant ball in the path. It released terrible whispers that chilled the two young Sahiks to the bone. Kya tried to draw on that strange light that she had made, but couldn't seem to make it appear. Finally, she talked to those ethereal voices inside her mind. The good, kind ones. She begged them to help her get past the monster. Instantly, they replied by growing another rope- this one much stronger. It also grew out of Jahar's chest in a thick twine of light. Plunging into the mass of shadows, it ripped each and every one apart until the whole thing burst into nothingness- and light.

Kya and Jahar made a final dash for the edge of the valley and safety of trees- real, live, trees.

Starkin was happily humming along an old folk song his mother used to sing, before she died. The forest was beautiful that morning: crisp summer trees on the brink of turning to fall, squirrels and birds chattering away, and not a human being in sight. That is, until one barreled into him.

He was walking right below a small cliff that turned to his left when _somebody_ just crashed into him full speed. They both fell to the ground in a pile of arms, legs, and sacks.

"Oof- ouch! What's the big idea- get your fist out of my mouf!" Finally, he got himself reorganized and turned to look at his attacker. To his surprise, it was only a girl. She was slightly taller than him, which made him straighten up out of his usual slouch, and she had long wavy black hair. Strangely enough, she wore a deep crimson tunic with black leggings. He had never seen someone with that uniform before. Ba Shuik was black and purple, Phio was gold and green; the traders from Ikinjar all wore pale blue. Innocent travelers chose cheap brown leather. So where did this girl come from?

"You- what did you crash into me for? Can't you keep to your own side of the road?" Starkin had intended to throw out a harsher comment, but he was still puzzled by this person.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. The voices were getting more urgent, so I was running, and-" she realized her blunder and clamped her hands over her mouth. "I-I didn't mean- oh, I'll just be on my way."

"No, wait! You hear voices? Are they beckoning you to go somewhere, like-erm- pulling inside you or something?"

She turned around with a wary glance. "How did you know that?"

"As of a few weeks ago, I've been running away from Larukian soldiers. They were after me because I'm a Sahik." He waited for her to flinch, but she remained calm. "Then there were these voices that seemed to be telling me to follow them, and I have for the past five days."

"That's when I started to hear them too! My ship was destroyed in a storm- I'm still not quite sure how I survived, but I think with magic of some sort- and then these voices inside my head urged me into the mountains."

"Do you think it could be part of the myths?" He asked with a worried glance.

"I don't think so. Not that I believe in them, of coarse. Where are they pulling you now?"

He paused for a moment, then pointed south, further up the forested mountain.

"Same for me! Maybe the voices meant for us to meet. Maybe they are leading us to something important!"

"I'm not sure," Starkin replied, "But I'm going to follow them. I don't really have a better option right now. What's your name, anyway?"

"Aspen." When he glanced over her clothing again, she said, "I live on Kinko Island. It's the only volcanic island still inhabited by people. The ancient Fire Nation civilization left long ago."

"My name's Starkin… you can call me Stark. I was a, um, peasant in Laruk, before the soldiers found me."

She giggled, knowing full well that he was a thief. They weren't that uncommon. "Well, Stark, I guess we're traveling together now."

**Read and Review! PLEASE! ^_^ I would like at least five before my next chapter!**


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Three days of running from the horrid Dead Shadow Pass took its toll on Kya and Jahar. They were nearly out of food, their legs were in agony, and the soul-pulling was even _more_ harder now. The voices were more urgent, and it was nearly painful to stay in one spot for more than a half hour. They had a hard time sleeping, and so were almost constantly traveling. The terrain was tougher, too. There were less trees and more sharp pine needles scattering the ground. It was steep, too. Boulders lay in piles everywhere, as if a spine-snapping rockslide was common here.

They finally reached a river. It wasn't the slow, dawdling kind on the plains, but a fast, cold one filled with rapids. Kya told Jahar to go hunting, and she set up camp and took a bath. The water was biting cold, but she didn't care. It washed off the week's worth of filth that coated her pale skin.

The soul-pull hurt, but traveling hurt more. They ate two rabbits and dried the meat of a pheasant for later. Using the soft reeds of the riverbank, they made two beds. Surprisingly, Kya fell asleep almost instantly.

Jahar wasn't so lucky. He lay awake for an hour, thinking of the people he'd lost. He would never see his mother or sisters again. His friends in the village probably were happy he'd left. After all, he endangered everyone's safety. It was better that he left. Maybe one day, when the Emperor was slain and Sahiks were safe, he would come back and everything would be as it was.

The boy looked over at the sleeping silhouette of Kya. It was hard to believe he was traveling with a noble, and a _beautiful _noble at that. Jahar had always envied their easy, rich life. In his dreams, they'd always been tall, snotty people who got anything they wanted. But Kya was different. She didn't have as great a childhood as he thought. She was rather small, and kind. _Perhaps that comes from being a Sahik, like me, and an outcast from her people._

The benders followed up the river the next day. Eventually they came to a gorgeous, glittering pool beneath a waterfall. But this waterfall was _magnificent_. No man had ever been here to pollute its pristine waters, and it was taller than any other they'd seen. Perhaps 300 feet tall, at least. The cliff around it was smooth and wet, with no footholds. And the voices told them to climb.

"How on earth are we going to get up there?" Kya exclaimed. "So these obnoxious voices invading _my_ head drag me all this way through haunted valleys, steep hills, horrid terrain, all without a spot of rest, and expect ME to climb up that thing?"

Jahar could see the noble part of her coming out. He almost laughed. "Its got to be important. And to do with our bending. Maybe they'll lead us somewhere where we can live in safety, without the world knowing our whereabouts!"

"Oh, _great._ So these creepy voices pulling my guts towards some magical _safety_ expect me to climb that?" She pointed to the waterfall.

"Think, Kya. Who of all people could climb up a waterfall that tall?" When she hesitated, he said, "A Sahik, of coarse! Waterbenders could bend their way in using the water. Air Sahiks could propel up using air bursts. Earth Sahiks might bend up the cliff or something. And Firebenders- well, they could do fire bursts to fly up. My point is, _no regular human could climb that cliff._ I think the voices are trying to tell us that."

The girl stared at him like he'd gone crazy. Jahar sighed, and inspected the cliff walls.

"Here! Come, look."

Kya looked at the strange writing etched into the rock. She couldn't read it. It seemed to be some sort of ancient hieroglyphics. Then, the simple lines _moved_! The squirmed and wiggled until there were words she knew.

_Humans are warned. Only the ancient race, benders of the four elements, may survive the climb._

"Ok, that is just TOO strange for me." Kya turned around, pointedly heading downhill, and then stopped. She struggled for a bit, but couldn't move. "What are you doing to me?" She shrieked. "Let me GO!" Slowly, and still struggling, Kya turned around and headed back to the cliff side.

Jahar watched this all in awe. _So there really _are_ spirits inside us. And they can control our movements, when necessary._

"If I die, I am _so_ blaming you for it." Jahar chuckled. He had no more control over these spirits than she.

Kya beckoned a rope of water up from the pool and, winding it around her waist, lifted it upwards. She parted the waterfall so it cascaded around her and added to the growing rope.

Jahar closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate only on the wind surrounding his body. It was gentle, but he told it to get stronger. The winds grew faster, and he had them swirl around him. More winds joined the others. He finally had a mini tornado surrounding him, and with one swift hand movement, they jolted him into the sky.

Kya and Jahar, nearly breathless from the ascent, rose over the top heroically. Or, at least, they hoped to look heroic. What was before them knocked their breath away, made them stumble and second-guess themselves. But no, it _was _real. Just a never-before-seen-in-mankind kind of real.

The top of the cliff was actually the side of a mesa. A mile high, five mile wide mesa. Not the kind you usually see in textbooks. The river that fed into the waterfall twisted through trees and rapids, like any other. But the geography was not what held their attention. It was the Temple that lay before them.

_Temple_ wasn't a very accurate word. It looked more like a palace. It was built on a small rise, as if it were a city. In a way, the Temple _was_ a city; an extremely beautiful city with no signs of filth or poverty. Each building was slender with graceful columns; all painted with a rosy-colored gold. The roofs were made with stone shingles and slightly curved at the ends, something only seen in the most ancient and beautiful architecture. At the center of the hill towered one building that stood out. It was a deeper gold, almost emitting the color in waves. At each corner stood a figurine, but it was hard to tell what exactly from this far away. A golden fence encircled the entire Temple.

Kya and Jahar cautiously approached, then lost their patience and ran towards the gate. As they suspected, it was locked.

"So, what, we come all this way, actually find the Lost Temple, and get stopped by a single _gate?_" She stomped over to a tree and sat down at its base, lost in her temper.

_Don't nobles have _any_ patience?_ Jahar wondered. He peered closer at the lock. It was unusual, like everything else on this mesa_. _There was no keyhole or way to open it, even from the inside. It was just a black obsidian block, with markings etched into it.

_Markings? Maybe some ancient languge lost long ago?_ There were four symbols he could see, though. Water, earth, fire, air. _The elements!_ An idea popped into Jahar's head. He looked inside of himself, into the raging wind that lay coiled up in his heart. His mind grabbed it, and, flashing open his eyes and shooting out his hands, let it loose. This time, instead of a large blast of wind, he focused all the energy to one point- the air symbol on the padlock. For one instant, he thought it hadn't worked. Kya stood up behind him, peering over his shoulder. Then the stone began to glow. The air symbol was brilliant- the curves of the three swirled marks were blazing white. Jahar heard a _click_, and the golden gate swung forward gracefully.

Jahar turned back to his friend. "Come on!"

He turned to the gate and stepped forward. The air seemed to change; as he passed the boundary it seemed as if he was walking through jello. On the inside the air seemed much fuller and sweeter. The thin mountain air made him caugh before- this almost seemed like the sea breeze.

He was about to turn and mention this phenomenon when he heard a muffled _oof!_ Kya was standing with her hands up on the boundary. She was trying to walk in, but the border remained firm. Without a sound, the golden gates swung shut and sealed the only exit.

"No!" Jahar shouted. He lurched forward at the gates, and they easily swung open again. He scratched his head.

"Kya, try waterbending at the lock like I airbended. I think that it wants identification, to know that you are a Sahik." She threaded some water from the river over to the obsidian lock, and it was absorbed into the water symbol, a crescent moon surrounded by waves. This symbol glowed a deep sea blue, and unlatched as easily as before.

"Boy, you'd think after centuries of neglect it would be a little rusty." Kya laughed. She and Jahar looked around, and headed towards the main temple.

**Please read & reply! Don't you want to know what happens next? (buahaha)**

**It's so simple:**

**Read Chapter + Reply = New Chapter!**


End file.
